• World Bank provides $100 million grant through IDA for Zambia’s Digital Acceleration Project (DZAP).
• Program targets women, youth, and vulnerable groups to reduce digital exclusion.
• Zambia aims to become an integrated and inclusive digital economy by 2030.

The World Bank, through the International Development Association (IDA), approved a $100 million grant to Zambia for its Digital Acceleration Project (DZAP), the lender said on September 23. The program seeks to expand internet access and promote inclusive use of digital services.

The project will prioritize women, girls, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, enabling them to access public digital services. “Zambian youth are well positioned to benefit from this project, as it supports the development of digital skills for employment among young people and disadvantaged populations,” said Mehnaz Safavian, World Bank’s Digital Development Practice Manager for Eastern and Southern Africa.

DZAP is part of the second phase of the regional Inclusive Digitalization in Eastern and Southern Africa (IDEA) initiative, which aims to achieve universal digital access by 2030 in line with African Union and United Nations goals.

Zambia has made progress in expanding internet penetration, with 11.4 million active subscribers in 2024, according to UN data. However, digital divides persist in rural areas and disproportionately affect women, girls, and the elderly.

The government, working with the UN, has set a target to build an “integrated, inclusive, and digitally self-reliant” economy by 2030. Its digital strategy emphasizes infrastructure upgrades, digital skills development, public-private partnerships, and reducing exclusion. The World Bank previously provided a $120 million grant to modernize Zambia’s public digital infrastructure.

With DZAP, Zambia joins Angola, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and COMESA in regional efforts to advance inclusive digital economies, the Bank said.

This article was initially published in French by Lydie Mobio

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum